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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23437084">I'll be Waiting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taryndactyl/pseuds/Taryndactyl'>Taryndactyl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, I wrote the first chapter when i was 15, Post-Canon, Short Chapters, and the second when i was 17, bad formatting, originally posted on Quotev, sorry - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:00:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,329</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23437084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taryndactyl/pseuds/Taryndactyl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place after Mass Effect 3<br/>"You know, I truly did think you would be waiting for me after all of this. For all I know, you're dead. Maybe you'll come back but... But how will you find us. I guess I should stop getting my hopes up and let you go. I don't know what's harder, losing you the first time and believing you won't come back or losing you the second time, believing you'll return."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  "You know, I truly did think you would be waiting for me after all of this. For all I know, you're dead. Maybe you'll come back but... But how will you find us. I guess I should stop getting my hopes up and let you go. I don't know what's harder, losing you the first time and believing you won't come back or losing you the second time, believing you'll return.<br/>         "Allers interviewed all of us shortly after the crash. Well not all of us. I've turned her down every single time. I think I'll do it if she asks again though. She says she's going to send it to Earth so no one forgets your story. I don't know how she'll do it, and I don't think she can. I think she just wants to finish what she started. Maybe she's planning on putting it on your grave.<br/>        "I don't know if you are dead or not and I don't know what I want to be true. Wherever you are, I won't stop thinking of you."<br/>         Kaidan was on the verge of tears when he stopped the video. Shepard was lost. He never dwelled long on the thought that Shepard was alive because of how far he was from home. The Normandy was still there, in fact that's where everyone makes these vid coms, desperately hoping it will make it to Earth. It doesn't of course. Shortly after landing they tried everything to get a hold of Earth. Nothing went through.<br/>         Kaidan often entertained the thought of just ending it and joining Shepard; What if he was wrong and she wasn't dead? What if she found them? Kaidan also knew he must stay strong for his fellow crewmates. If one person broke, many would follow.<br/>         Small shacks were built near the Normandy and few ventured far away from it. Tali and Garrus often did the most exploring as this world- or what we know of it- doesn't support dextro based life. Meaning, they'll starve.<br/>        Kaidan uploaded the recording onto a disc and put it in a protective casing. This'll be  his parting gift. Everyone was making or finding something to put in in remembrance. Traynor was putting in her toothbrush; Joker, his hat; EDI was putting in the ring she gave to Shepard while on shore leave; Dr. Chakwas, the brandy she had planned to share with Shepard, etc.<br/>        "Kaidan!" Diana Allers yelled out.<br/>       "Yes?"<br/>       "I need your video. Your side."<br/>       So Kaidan gave his side of the war, talked about the Coup attempt and his role. Relived his grief of Ashley and Shepard when he didn't think she'd come back.<br/>       "If Shepard had died starting the crucible, would you want her to come back?"<br/>       "Come back? As in alive? I don't know. Shepard needs a rest, even if she retired she would never be left alone. It may be better this way. If I was to be selfish, yes. I would give up anything just to hold her again. She told me before she left 'When this is over, I'm going to be waiting for you. You better show up.' I guess she should of been talking about herself, not me."<br/>       "Did you have any plans when this was over?"<br/>       Kaidan looked up thinking back to all those late nights spent talking about a future they both knew would most likely not happen, and now, never will. He took so long to answer that Ms. Allers asked again before he finally responded and gave a small pained smile to the camera.<br/>       "Often times we talked about living on a far off colony that was always bright and happy. We'd have our children running around us while we sat staring at the sky. We would tell them of our crazy adventures and the people we met. For dinner We would have beef, bacon, and beer-"<br/>       "Why beef, bacon, and beer?"<br/>       A small chuckle escaped Kaidan's  mouth before he explained, "One time when we were in Anderson's apartment...."<br/> </p>
<hr/>
<p>        The funeral was shortly after. Almost everyone had something to put in the grave. Allers put in the finished video. From the start of the war to Kaidan's video. Kaidan was the last to put his in. He stared at the grave before gently placing in his video with a picture attached to it of them standing next to each other, smiling. When Kaidan finally stepped away Garrus put the lid on the box and gave the go ahead to start burying it. When all was said and done everyone returned to the Normandy with Shepard's plaque. When everyone reached the crew deck Kaidan placed the plaque on the wall of deceased just above Anderson's. Now he had to accept she was gone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few months ago Shepard's funeral had taken place. Most still visit her grave, a few bring flowers from their current planet. Kaidan didn't bring flowers, instead he brought memories. He knew Shepard probably wouldn't care about the flowers. In fact, she'd probably prefer they left her grave alone and spent the time figuring out how to get back home.<br/>       Garrus and Tali almost died of starvation. Luckily, they found a cave full of dextro-based plants. Both have taken on farming to sustain themselves and each other. A few crewmembers have died, mostly due to dumb ideas like cliff jumping without any safety device.<br/>       Otherwise, life has been uneventful. Most have given up trying to contact Earth. Kaidan still tried. Sometimes he thought he gained contact. Something would ping for a few seconds and then disappear. Moral was even lower than when they landed. It was one of those pining days when cheering was heard from outside. Kaidan, confused as to what would cause celebration, slowly left the Normandy wreckage. Before him was a landing ship.<br/>       As soon as the drawbridge touched the ground, everyone crowded around the ship. A few were crying, most were embracing the closet people to them. Kaidan didn't know what to feel. Inside this ship was either the greatest news or his greatest sorrow. The doors slowly opened, almost to slow for Kaidan's aching heart. Just behond the doors a silhouette of a woman could be seen. He knew the curve of her hips, the length of her legs, and the faint outline of her haircut. Kaidan slowly walked to the ship, increasing in speed as he approached. By the time he reached the landing platform he was almost in a dead on sprint. He crashed into the woman, much to her dismay.<br/>       A yelp emitted from her lips. Kaidan sat up, keeping her hips pinned to the ground with his own.<br/>       "Shepard..." He breathed. Never before was he so happy to see her, " I thought- I-," Kaidan's words were trapped in his throat. A sob flooded through his lips. Leaning down, he peppered her face with kisses before finally resting his forehead on hers.<br/>       "I thought I lost you," he whispered, barely audible to Shepard.<br/>       "But you didn't," she laughed, "you think a couple measly Reapers could kill me! If I remember correctly, I told you to show up after I was done."<br/>       "Well, we ran into a bit of trouble."<br/>       "A little! You're on a planet in the middle of fucking nowhere. I don't think we would have ever had found you if someone wasn't constantly pinging."<br/>       "Glad to know my pinging helped." Kaidan helped Shepard stand up, and was quickly remind of their audience when a few claps and wolf whistles were heard.<br/>       "Didn't think you would ever get off her mate!" A crewmate shouted. Kaidan replied with a sheepish smile while Shepard laughed and made her way into the crowd.<br/>       That evening they held a feast with some of the food within the newly arrived ship. Shepard was having a hell of a time, even showing her "new" dance moves off. Of course they were still awful. But to everyone attending, it was the best thing they'd ever seen.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry if any weird formatting persists, I did write this on my phone in a plane at the time. This wasn't originally a chapter, but someone requested it.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I wrote this 5 years ago and just wanted to get some work up on my page, so here this is. The chapters are really short, sorry about that.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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